Bullet-Proof Conviction
by stormflame89
Summary: The last day with his Guardians was spent in a bitter-sweet blur. He watched them more closely, as if trying to cement their images in his head, and he was sure that more than one of them suspected something was wrong and he hoped that his smile still had the power to set them at ease


A/N So this is something I have been milling over for a while. It isn't connected with anything... yet. Again it is not beta'd if you would be willing to beta for me please drop me a line. Feel free to check out my other works and I hope you enjoys this. Please review.

~0~

The last day with his Guardians was spent in a bitter-sweet blur. He watched them more closely, as if trying to cement their images in his head, and he was sure that more than one of them suspected something was wrong and he hoped that his smile still had the power to set them at ease. Night fell as they sat around the long semi-formal dining table in the heart of his Italian fortress. Down at the end Lambo was laughing quietly as Ryohei tried valiantly to drag Kyoya into an arm wrestling match, a new passion. Seated to the left and right of him sat Takeshi and Hayato, both men trying to pretend they weren't making eyes at each other. It was a perfect end to the day as far as Tsuna, Vongola Decimo, was concerned.

Surrounded by his beloved family, not Famiglia but family, he felt himself waver in his plan as he had a number of times in the days previous, but as always his bullet-proof conviction in this matter persevered. After the meal they retired to a sitting room and instead of going to his office to work on war reports as he had for many weeks he stayed with his friends and just basked in their presence. He could feel a lifting in the air of the melancholy that had been every present in the house since the first sign of that man. Tsuna brushed the thought away not wanting to spoil his mood.

They all decided to go to bed fairly early seeing as most of them had planes to catch in the morning. As he passed each Guardian he brushed pale fingers through their hair. It was sign of their love and loyalty towards him that they all, even Kyoya, leaned slightly into his touch. He bid them good-night and departed to his bedchambers.

Once there he laid down on his luxuriously appointed bed still fully clothed. The night passed slowly for Tsuna as he lay there staring into the dark, cold empty room. He didn't think of anything in particular, in fact there were times where he didn't think at all. He sat up slowly as the first rays of the dawning sun peeked into his spacious room. He went about his daily absolutions as if it wasn't possibly the last time he would see his loved ones.

Finally dressed in his signature classic white suit, Tsunayoshi Sawada looked into the mirror that had been attached to the wall of his wardrobe. Dark circles were painted beneath his brown eyes and his pale skin had a sickly tinge to it. He allowed a bit of Sun Flames to leak into his body, a trick he had learned from Dino who had a Sun Secondary, and felt the aches and pains of a sleepless night fade. A quick glance in the mirror showed a youthful and healthy man who didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

~0~

Breakfast with his Guardians was harder then dinner had been, and it took every ounce of training to keep from bursting into tears right there at the informal dinning table in the west lounge. Of course Lambo, perhaps sensing Tsuna's melancholy, almost started a food fight with Takeshi causing the brunet to dissolve into giggles unbefitting a man of his station.

All too soon it was time for the Guardians to leave and Tsuna escorted them to the main door just as he normally did. He gave each of them their customary kiss of farewell on the cheek and watched as they headed out to their respective limos. As he watched the last of them fade out of sight a single tear rolled down his smooth face. He wiped it away before any of the milling servants could see.

The brunet turned on the heel of his white shoes and started up the grand staircase that took up much of the entrance hall. He took three rights, a left and another right before coming to the last door on the left. He was alone in this wing so he allowed his head to rest forlornly on the steel backed wooden door as he waited, his hand on the bronze door knob.

After almost an hour of standing there he pushed open the door. Not a ray of light filtered into the room but Tsuna didn't need it find the wall of windows that was the left hand wall. He pulled open the curtains and basked in the sunlight for a moment before turning back to the room. Dust had only recently started to settle into the crevices, it hadn't been too long since the occupant had disappeared after all, less than two weeks really.

Tsuna strode across the now lit room and paused in front of the dresser that stood on the wall to his left. The only things resting on the once polished surface was a black fedora and a shiny black CZ75 1st. He picked up the fedora and placed it stylishly on his head of chestnut hair as he'd been shown, it clashed with his suit but the sight of it brought back memories of an easier time when all that mattered was wearing the right clothes and having a positive attitude. He chuckled as tears began to slip down his face, those memories were just as bitter-sweet as the night before had been.

Finally he set the hat back down and his hand hovered over the gun for a moment in hesitant before wrapping around the grip.

He lifted the pistol and with a sure and steady hand sighted along the barrel at an imaginary target. He closed his tearing eyes as he crumpled to the ground, gun pressed hard to his chest. Tsuna sobbed quietly, his whole body shook in despair as he finally truly mourned the death of his beloved tutor, Reborn.

Reborn had been his guiding voice in the rough waters of the mafia and then he'd gotten sick. The non Tri-Ni-Set Radiation had caused Reborn to grow ill shortly after the new year but he'd still been a heavy presence in the back of his mind and suddenly even that had been stripped from him.

What was he going to do?

How was he going to go on?

How was he going to know when to fight and when to stop?

Would Reborn approve?

Those had been the most logical questions to role through his mind in the days following Reborn's 'death'. When he wasn't working diligently on war reports or following phantom whispers of his tutor's voice, he'd rolled those questions and his plan around in his head.

His Plane, the tears stopped as his grip on the CZ75 tightened, he stared out the window as once again the thought of what he would do that day crossed his mind. Tsuna knew that his death at Byakuran's hand would have a similar if not stronger effect on his family and friends. The mafia would reel and eventually his name would only be remembered as a foot night in history as the person who had led Vongola to their doom. And if his younger self and his friends failed in their mission there might not even be any eventualities as Byakuran would have control of the full Tri-Ni-Set.

He took a deep shuddering breath and allowed the hand holding the gun to fall to his side. Tsuna stood from the ground gracefully despite his stiff and sore joints, and gently placed the gun back in it across the slightest imprint of dust on the dresser surface. The slight imperfection was the only sign besides the open window that had even been in the room.

He exited with the feeling of a tiny weight upon his shoulder as if the Arcobaleno still sat there, hand wrapped loosely in him fluffy hair. It gave him strength to remember Reborn, even if he would have been pissed beyond belief at Tsuna for the stupid thing he had planned. After all Reborn had trained him to survive against all odds, and he was going to his death.

He retraced his steps down the many halls and descended the stairs again. His Hyper Intuition alerted him that no servants were around though he knew soon they would realize he had left because of the security cameras. Tsuna could only hope they thought he was going for a walk in the front garden as he had several times in the past months.

He had just started the car he had had stashed in the woods when the alarms started behind him. Tsuna pulled away and began the long drive to his death, and perhaps to the death of his friends. His breath was steady and his hands firm on the wheel, he would go out as calm and fearless as was expected of him as Vongola Decimo.


End file.
